Agape: God's love

I used to think that I had the know-all when it comes to love - I even proudly parroted the famous definition, "Love is an intelligent willingness to do what is best for the other person" - until I had to face up to someone whom I find so difficult, even impossible at times to love.

I mean, how do you love someone who takes your kindness for granted? How do you stay patient at someone who shouts at your parents one day and asks for money the next day? How do you bear with someone who lies to you repeatedly, is unrepentant and malicious in words and action? How does anyone find in themselves the capability to love someone like that?

I thought it impossible and beyond me to do such a thing. Until I witnessed my own longsuffering parents continually opening their arms to embrace a unpenitent child. Time and time again, they did so in spite of their own misgivings and heartaches - knowing full well that by doing so, they are exposing themselves to more pain. I couldn't understand why. One night, in exasperation and anger, I retorted to my father, "Do you know how hurt I am [because of her actions]?"

My father answered, "She hurt me more. I am the one who gave her life and brought her up."

And I kept quiet because it was true. The pain I feel now is nothing in comparison to my father's. At that moment, I asked God, how is it even possible to love an unlovable person like her? Why is my father so silly?

Then I thought of myself. How filthy, how sinful and how depraved I am to demand for answers when I myself am not any better. Each time I sin, I turn away from His loving gaze to hanker after the fickle, temporal pleasures of the flesh. Each time I sin, I spit in contempt at His Son's work on the cross. Each time I sin, many times consciously, many times deliberately, I grieve God more than I'll ever know. And yet He never lets up. He even sent His beloved Son to die for the sins of such as me, someone so unworthy, so filthy, so repulsive.

My earthly father's love, however impossible a standard I think it is, is ultimately imperfect and impermanent. My heavenly Father's love in comparison is perfect, and eternal. Today, I get a glimpse and a better appreciation of His love for me. Maybe He has put me through this difficult trial in order to transform my theoretical understanding of His love into one that I am truly convicted about. I'm just getting started; I'll take eternity to learn and cherish His love for me.

How deep the Father's love for us, how vast beyond all measure
That he should give his only son, to make a wretch his treasure
How great the pain of searing loss, the Father turned his face away
As wounds which mar the chosen one, bring many sons to glory

Behold the man upon a cross, my sin upon his shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held him there until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life; I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything: no gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ; his death and resurrection
Why should I gain from his reward? I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart: his wounds have paid my ransom

Ruth: Providence

One major theme of the book of Ruth, which SG Charis is learning now, is about God's Providence, His wonderful blessings (culminating in King David and Davidic King) for a seemingly hopeless Naomi and Ruth (and for the rest of OT and NT believers including us!) This is William Cowper's hymn, sung in contemporary fashion. Beautiful song: Enjoy! :)

William Cowper - God Moves in a Mysterious Way





Blind unbelief is sure to err
And scan His works in vain
God is His own interpreter
and He will make it plain.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense
But trust Him for His grace
Behind a frowning Providence
He hides a smiling face.

Computers and Transcendence

Throughout my work in Acer, I have been wondering about computer systems. Well, not exactly the kind of questions that one normally asks. It's not about how certain software or hardware works, but rather the most basic idea:

What exactly happens at the most basic level? How do tangible things, metal parts, wires all work together to produce something complicated and intangible like what appears on the screen?

Of course, we take everything we see on the monitor screen for granted. I scrutinize the internal system, and all I see are simple computer parts. Physical parts that can be easily manufactured. But somehow there is some sort of transcendence there. From simple metal parts to... images, videos, movement of the mouse, typing of the alphabets etc.. How does that happen!?!

We all know it has to do with binary, the "1"s and "0"s, but aren't you amazed at how it works? I'm amazed at how people first thought of the computer idea.

Then I liken the computer system to our own body system. Like the computer, we are all made of simpler physical things called cells, which are made of molecules. Somehow these molecules and cells all add up together to form one big part that's me... Isn't that amazing by itself? And to add to all these, I am also a thinking and spiritual person. I have intangible thoughts, motives, emotions, affections, desires that have transcended from mere physical things.

If the human mind that makes, explains, constructs and troubleshoots the computer system is so much greater that the computer system, I shudder at how much greater the Divine Mind is that created the human mind!


"As the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
- Isaiah 55:9

"Obama The Anti-Christ"

Hi All,

My friend just showed me this link, and honestly believes it to be true.
I'm skeptical, but also can't pick out what exactly is wrong. It does have some portions that are convincing.



The link => http://o.bamapost.com/



Let me know what you guys think of this.


Marianne.

Trusting God

Trusting God in times of distress or fear or maybe in good times or just simply the bad times. This is something hard for “modern Christian” (I confess that sometimes I do not trust in Him that’s why I’m writing this to whoever that might need this article including myself to remind that we need to trust in God) especially in such modern society when everything move so fast , you can get a meal in 3 mins or travel from one side of singapore to another in less than an hour.

It’s been so too common that we lean on our own then to trust God in things that we think we can control like whether to serve in a ministry or to change a job or to maybe simple things like pursuing personal intrest /hobbies.

Proverbs 3:5-6 tell us that

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;

⁶ in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.

The scripture told us that in this walk on earth our job as Christian would be difficult-

Matthew 7:13-14(¹³"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. ¹⁴But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.)

Matthew 8:18-20(¹⁸When Jesus saw the crowd around him, he gave orders to cross to the other side of the lake. ^{19Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, "Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go."20Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.")}

This verses tell us that as Christian our life will not be smooth sailing but assured that God did promise to be with us in Isaiah 43:2(When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.)

God knows our weakness and He knows our limits (Matthew 11:28-30). He does promise that He will never give us more burdens than we can carry with Him. Without God, any burden may be unbearable. We need His strength to endure it all.

Luke 8:22-25 ( One day Jesus said to his disciples, "Let's go over to the other side of the lake." So they got into a boat and set out. As they sailed, he fell asleep. A squall came down on the lake, so that the boat was being swamped, and they were in great danger. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Master, Master, we're going to drown!" He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm. Where is your faith?" he asked his disciples.)

Jesus say’s to his disciples that to cross over the lake but he did not say that the journey will be smooth sailing , there was a storm and the boat got rocky and the disciples was scared and woke Jesus up and Jesus calmed the storm . Yes Jesus did not say in the beginning that the journey will be smooth but he says that they will get to the other side of the lake safely. Jesus said : “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.” Luke 9:23

The cross is heavy and is not easy to carry it’s the same analogy of not having a smooth sailing life anyone who follows Jesus would surely face prosecution , sadness , times of fear , times of distress but remember God know each and everyone of us He will gives us temptations or test us so as to prune us more into image of Christ 1 Peter 1:6:8(In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy)

Silver and gold need to be refined before they reveal their beauty. So do we! The process of refining includes the melting down of the metal by fires designed not to destroy the metal, but bring forth it's beauty.

Let's look at how silver is purified, then you'll see the analogy. The silver is crushed into small pieces and placed into a crucible. The silversmith places the crucible over the fire, and then watches carefully as the silver melts. Eventually impurities will rise to the top of the crucible. These are scraped off carefully by the silversmith. Then an even hotter fire is built. Once again the silver is subjected to the heat. Now, under this new intensity of fire, more and different impurities are released.

The silversmith never leaves the silver unattended in the fire, lest the silver damaged by too much heat. Each time the fire is increased and the impurities are removed, the silversmith bends over the crucible to look at himself in the melted silver. At first his image is dim ... his face barely discernible. However, with each new fire his image becomes more distinct. When he finally sees himself clearly, he knows all the impurities are gone. The refining is complete!

So it is with you. God breaks you and puts you into the crucible of suffering for one purpose and one purpose alone -- to make you into His image. He is preparing you for glory. Whether you have known it or not, God has been there through every trial, pain and hurt. He has carefully watched so that it would not destroy you, all the while knowing that eventually it would work together for your good. Pretty powerful stuff!

Whatever the challenge or loss you face today, God knows about it and cares. Trust and obey Him through Christ, and the eventual victory — the eternal Home — is sure!

P.S --I’m going through somethings NOW as of *03july2009 0204AM* I’m worried about lots of things frm friends to studies to relationships issues I’m learning to trust in God through prayer so I’m appealing to those that read this if you find that this is helpful start to trust in His wisdom for He moves in a mysterious way and believes that for behind frowning providence He hides a smiling face (: )

*** i edited because there are a few white spaces between the highlighted part i did not edit any word in this post it's all original***

cheers (: